Knots Landing - Keep the Story Going Game

[Daniel Avery]

Sam left Lucy for the time being, and this time she was dressed more...um, appropriately. Sumner had kindly provided her with an appropriate wardrobe (even panties), but Lucy was still a bit of a mess. She had large holes in her memories of 1987-2002, but since she'd been building a minor (very, very minor) career as a pop star in Europe, there was little chance that anyone in Knots Landing would know any more about her than she did. The problem, of course, was that Lilimae, as well as Val and the rest of Knots Landing, remembered her as an abrasive, foul-mouthed, and slightly contagious child-woman. Hard living over those fifteen years had made her virtually unrecognizable to even her closest relatives, but now that Lucy had gotten her bearings back (courtesy of the man who'd essentially taken them away in the first place), she had a chance to start over. As far as the world was concerned, Lucy's return to 1980-something would assure that Bratney Shears would never really exist in the later years. It was one of the more blatant examples of how choices made one day can alter the entire future.

In earlier times...

Lilimae was rattling around her kitchen when the phone rang. She'd achieved an odd sort of normalcy that morning, despite her worries about the missing timepiece, so she casually picked up.
"Mrs. Clements," an unrecognizable voice said in a monotone, "your family will be returning home. Enjoy your reunion." They hung up.
"Well, what on Earth?" she asked. Valene! she thought as she heard the doorbell ring. It didn't really occur to her that Val would not have any reason to ring her own doorbell. She opened the door without asking who was there, expecting her daughter and son-in-law.
"Well, who the heck are you?" she asked in a mix of disappointment and genuine curiosity.

------

In later times....

Abby heard the key turn in the front door. She went from wide-eyed happiness to squint-eyed bitterness.
"Well, how's work?" she asked sarcastically.
"Don't start with me, Abby...you and I both know my job isn't exactly nine-to-five." Sam put his briefcase down on the table. He saw Abby's paperwork.
"What's that? Buying up orphanges and retirement homes again?"
"Just a project I've been working on while you leave me all alone for days on end. You know people are starting to talk."
"Mostly they say 'how does that nice guy put up with such a manipulative, back-stabbing drunk'. " He smiled cattily at her and left the room. Abby fumed but didn't continue the argument. She was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and pretty soon she'd be able to buy and sell him, his simpering little Ginger Ward, and everyone on the block.

----

Back in earlier times....

"Are you Lilimae Clements?" Joshua Rush asked, holding a piece of paper. She felt a sense that he was familiar, and realized he looked like a man she'd known about thirty years before.
"I'm not sure how to say this, but I'm your son, Joshua."
Lilimae gasped and burst into tears of joy. She hugged him close, and he quickly got into the swing of things, hugging her back and crying as well.

-----

Yep, back in the later eighties.....

Valene and Gary had been fighting constantly since arriving in the future period. They saw their friends in turmoil, and it seemed to be contagious. Ginger had obviously become so distraught that she left town entirely, and Richard had slipped into some sort of weird apathy, spending a lot of time sleeping and listening to some group called The Cure. Worst of all, he had not been bathing as much, because he always smelled strange.
But the fighting had been made worse by the seeming omnipresence of Lilimae and Joshua. Joshua seemed to enjoy needling people, and of course Lilimae could annoy Mother Theresa if given the chance. Valene had become convinced that they needed to get used to their new time, that they'd simply have to stop thinking about the missing years. Gary, on the other hand, didn't want to believe this was natural, and that they could go back if they just figured out how. He obviously had a stake in this: he didn't want to live in a world where his mother and favorite brother were both dead, and where the rest of the family blamed him for Miss Ellie's death. So Gary kept telling Val to get her head out of the clouds, while Val told him he needed to embrace their new life. Lilimae took Val's side, and Joshua just enjoyed keeping the three arguing.
Richard asked Val to borrow the Pinto once again, and Gary and Val even argued about that. Gary complained that the car always smelled odd when Richard borrowed the car, and it was high time Richard figured out the bus schedule. Valene was more compassionate, and had even been lending Richard money that she was sure he'd pay back soon. Still, she had to use the car to go shopping, and Gary needed to go on another job interview. Richard managed to whine enough to get them to give him a ride, and the stage was once again set. All that was missing was Ginger in the backseat alongside an semi-conscious Richard, though none of them really made the connection that it was deja vu all over again....

[AdrianCuldesac]

The late 80's

Karen looked out her window. She had heard Gary and Val arguing again. The two seemed to be going somewhere with Richard. She shook her head. She felt like she really didn't know them anymore. Sometimes I wished they had stayed missing. She heard Val's car drive off, and as she was about to head into the kitchen to grap another Twinkie...everything went white.

---

"Val, why are we taking the scenic route?"

"I just wanted to see the ocean, Gary. Alright?"

"Well, I don't want to be late for my job interview." huffed Gary.

Trying to disspell the negativity, Val asked, "So, what's this one for? The job interview I mean. I still can't believe they wouldn't hire you at Marine Land."

"Well, I think it's the accent. I figure they think someone from the South has no clue about tending to aquatic life. That's why I think I'm a shoo-in for this job, Val. They need someone who knows how to handle studs! Can you believe that?! I had no idea there were horses right here in Knots Landing!"

Val looked worried. "Well, uh, what does it say, Gary?"

"Wanted: A guy who can handle any size stud. Be handsome, athletic, and well equipped. Call 555-4503 and ask for Troy. Compensation to be determined based on skills and experience. If there was one thing I learned from living with my family in Dallas, it was ranching!"

"Gary, I just hope you don't get your hopes up about this, darlin,' and why would they care what you look like? Shouldn't your experience be the only thing that matters?"

"Hey, you two. I'm not feeling so well. I think that Ciji did something to my drink...and my wife. No, she did my wife first and then my drink. HA!" slurred Richard.

Val and Gary were about to address Richard when they felt it...the familiar cold sensation they felt the night of the pageant.

---

The early 80's

Karen Fairgate had gone over to see Lilimae. She wanted to know if she had heard anything more from that Sam Adams fellow. It was almost a week since the others went missing, and she was beginning to develop a need for snack cakes to ease her nerves along with the pills. She knocked on the door, and was surprised to see that Lilimae had company.

[Daniel Avery]

Laura was in her kitchen reading the want ads, having come to the realization that it was time to take charge. Richard might as well be lost, and Laura needed to pay the mortgage with or without him. She turned the page of the Knots Landing Tribune to see an ad that seemed to be a good fit--a secretary for a small real-estate firm. The hours would allow her to still be home when Jason got home from school, and if they liked her, maybe there would be a chance for a promotion. Whatever the case, the bottom line was that she needed to get a job, and after four other calls had been unsuccessful, these people asked her to come in for an interview that afternoon! She got into her car and drove away just as things got really sticky in the cul-de-sac.

-----

"Well, hello..." Karen sputtered, feeling herself blush a bit. "I don't believe we've met." Karen extended her hand to the handsome young man. Wow, they're sending much cuter Jehovah's Witnesses these days.
"Karen, this is an awkward time for introductions, but I guess I should just tell you--this is my son, Joshua!" Lilimae was still in that tears-of-joy mode, so it was obvious something big was going on. She noticed that Lilimae's son (son???) was also wiping tears.
"Oh, dear....I...I'm speechless! I didn't mean to interrupt a private moment."
Lilimae stepped forward and took Karen's hand. She invited Karen into the living room to share her happiness. She launched into the whole explanation of how she'd been briefly married to Jonathan Rush, how she'd had to leave because she wanted to pursue her music career, and how Jonathan had managed to keep Lilimae from finding out where they were for years. She had her fingers crossed behind her back during the final minutes of the explanation. Karen got so engrossed in their story that she started crying too, and raving about how wonderful it was for them to be reunited after all this time. Joshua was a bit put off by Karen's bawling. Leave it to Karen Fairgate to make this all about her, Lilimae thought to herself.

-----

Abby was getting ready to head to St. Bloomingdales of Beverly Center for weekly services when she heard something outside. She bent over the dresser to get a better look at the circle-drive, only to see Michael laying on the grass outside, his bicycle having gone left when he went right. Klutz! she thought, but realized she ought to go see if her nephew was really hurt. She had not realized that her necklace had looped around the lamp cord when she looked out the window. When she leaned back, everything on the dresser went flying, and her necklace snapped, sending beads tinkling to the floor. Abby, however, hit the floor with a thud, having been knocked senseless by the heavy lamp base. She did not know that her lamp had also dragged her ring box to the floor, and the timepiece she had stolen from Lilimae had landed on its side. Maybe it was for the best that she was seeing stars, because nothing else that happened would have made much more sense to her.

----

Kate Whittaker had seen Michael have his bicycle accident and had gone running to see if he was all right. Saying the yellow Pinto came "out of nowhere" would be an understatement, but that's how Kate ended up being joining Michael on Abby's lawn, only Kate's situation was much more dire than Michael's. She had bounced off the hood as the car was literally burning rubber and screeching the brakes. Michael's eyes looked as big as saucers as he watched the Pinto screech to a stop in the Avery driveway. "Hey, Kate!" Michael screamed, trying to reach out to her, only to see her literally disappear the same way that Pinto had appeared.

-----

Had Laura not departed the scene five minutes earlier, the old war-horse Pinto would have plowed right into Laura's car. As it was, Val had barely managed to stop the car before it went into the Avery garage (without the benefit of having opened the door). Karen and Lilimae had come out to see what had happened, and of course Val, Gary, and Richard were still in the car. Michael was laying on Abby's lawn, his ankle still hurting. It was a tough call, but of all the eyes bugging out of their sockets, Lilimae's seemed largest of all.

[AdrianCuldesac]

"Valeen?! Oh my God! VALEEN!! My sweet baby has come back to me!" cried Lilimae with tears of joy in her eyes.

Val and the other two began to stir. They had all blacked out, and they were lucky to be in one piece. As Karen and Lilimae came around to open Val's car door, Val groaned and opened her eyes.

"Mom?" came Michael's weak cry for his mother.

"Val? Oh my God. Val!" cried Karen. She and Lilimae were fighting over the door handle.

"Back off, Karen Fairgate! This here is my baby! Why don't you tend to your son over there. Looks like he could use his mama!" snapped Lilimae.

"Oh, Michael?! What happened?" Karen ran to his side.

"Mama? How did we end up back here? Last thing I remember was going to the store with Gary and Richard..."

"Are you alright, sweetpea?" Val shook her head 'yes'.

"How about you two? You alright Gary? Richard?" demanded Lilimae.

Gary grumbled out a 'yes' while Richard said that his hangover was killing him along with the lesbians, whatever that meant. Lilimae took that to be a 'yes' from him.

"Oh, sugar, where have ya'll been? We were all so worried sick about you! Especially me! Now, Karen may say she's been worried the most, but I'm your mama!"

"Mama, please...not right now." groaned Val. She was rubbing her temples.

"Should I call an ambulance? Joshua. Will you go call for an ambulance? The numbers are on the wall right beside the phone in the kitchen."

"Yes, mama." Joshua ran back inside the house.

"Thank you Lord for this Pinto!" cried Lilimae as she looked up into the Heavens.

"I don't think it's broken, mom. Just sprained." said Michael as he touched his ankle and eyed Lilimae like she was crazy.

"Oh, are you sure?" said a dissappointed Karen. It looked like she wouldn't be coddling anyone this week.

"Yeah. Mom? Kate...Kate...I saw her vanish! When the car came out of nowhere...she vanished!"

"Well, I'm sure she's ok, honey. Wherever she is..."

---

Ciji had decided to surprise Laura with a visit. Laura had not heard from Richard for almost a whole week. She thought maybe Laura could use some comforting. A lot of it. I hope the little troll never comes back.
As she sped her bike around the corner to the cul-de-sac, she had not clue about the drama she was about to stir up.

[Daniel Avery]

Ciji rounded the corner and rode into Seaview Circle on her ten-speed. She saw all the commotion in Laura's driveway, but Laura's car was not there. She wasn't sure she wanted to deal with the whole neighborhood, so she considered turning around. She saw Valene and Gary emerging from the little yellow car, however, and knew something "big" was happening.
"Hello, Ciji!" Karen said, cradling Michael's ankle.
"What's happened? Last I'd heard, the Ewings and Richard had disappeared."
"They're back! Oh, it's so wonderful. Lilimae is over the moon."
Richard came back? Oh, damn. And just when Laura had gotten all that hair out of the tub drain. Ciji smiled weakly. "Where's Laura? Richard must be wondering where his wife is."
"I'm not sure, actually...Michael, can you walk?" Michael, who'd been having a puberty attack as Ciji stood there in those short-shorts, got to his feet. His funny walk wasn't totally due to his sprained ankle. Karen helped her son into the house.

-----

"Mama, I don't need an ambulance!" Val said, slapping Lilimae's hand away, refusing to be coddled. She did reach out for Gary's steadying hand, however, and in a split second she processed what she'd heard.
"Who was that, calling you mama?"
"Oh, Valene, everything will be okay now! You see, I got this call this morning, and they told me--"
"Lilimae, have you taken in another stray?" Gary grumbled. In his mind, he could see Lilimae filling the house with cats....but street urchins?
"Valene, I never told you about Joshua because I genuinely never thought I'd see him, that he would not want to see me. But he showed up not an hour ago, and now you are here too! Don't you see...it's a miracle!"
"Mama, I can't find any number for an ambulance." Joshua emerged from the house and came face-to-face with Valene.
Good lord, Joshua thought, it's the woman I wanted to talk to at the leather bar!
Good lord, Valene thought, it's that pervert who exposed himself to me at that leather bar!
Good lord, Gary thought, it's that pervert I punched senseless at that leather bar.
Ciji, viewing the encounter from a short distance, thought, Good lord, break me off a piece of that.

-----

Sam Adams was "otherwise indisposed" (translation: juggling enough of Greg Sumner's errands), so he didn't have the chance to see what was happening on his computer program. The timepiece had landed on Abby's hardwood floor at a bad angle, so several disruptions were occurring at the same time. Greg was not in his office, either, much to his underlings' relief. Greg's secretary, Janet had become so afraid of making Mr. Sumner angry that she spent much of her time hiding in the broom closet; when she returned to her desk the computer was basically scrolling data across the screen at lightning speed. She called every place she could think to call, even their IT department, but got no satisfaction. Finally she made an "executive decision" by yanking the cord out of the wall.

Bad move, Janet.

Abby had gathered her senses enough to re-position herself with her back against a nearby chair. She was trying to remember....well, why she was trying to pick herself up off the floor.
The scattered items on the floor and the creased lampshade reminded her, but she was still incoherent. She closed her eyes, shook her head, and re-opened them to see an outstretched hand. She looked up and saw Peter Hollister, smiling as if amused at her predicament. Suddenly his facial expression changed, and he slumped forward to fall over her legs. He had a receipt spindle sticking from his back, and the blood was quickly spreading across his back.
She screamed and recoiled from the horror-show, but he had landed across her legs and pinned her to the floor. She screamed once again, but it was unlikely anyone would hear her.

[AdrianCuldesac]

As Abby lay pinned screaming her pretty little head off..

Claudia Whitaker was taking another bubble bath. Chip was sponging her back and kneading her shoulders. "Mmmmm, Chip that is nice. Go a little lower." She sipped her champagne, but when Chip didn't comply, she looked over her shoulder at him. He had a blank expression, and then she noticed blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. She gasped and recoiled away from him in horror. Water and suds went everywhere. There was a pitchfork sticking out of his chest. What the hell?! Where did that come from? Did Gary Ewing do that?

---

Kate had been on the cul-de-sac one minute and the next she was on a hilltop. She remembered being hit by a car, but she now seemed fine. There was a breeze blowing over the hill, and from what she could tell, it was an ocean breeze. The land had been paved away and there were construction vehicles and material laying about, but no people. It must be the weekend. She strained to listen. She heard cars off in the distance. Where am I now? She looked around, and off in the distance there was a highway. She decided to trek over and see if she could flag someone down for help. It took her about 10 minutes, and she nearly broke her ankle twice trying to climb up the embankment that lead to the road, but her tennis training helped her make her way. As she stood on the curb, she noticed a car coming her way. She waved her hands. The car slowed down and stopped right next to her. The car turned out to be a 1971 Chrysler Charger. A man and a woman were inside. The man said, "You okay, honey? You lost or something?"

"Y-Yes! Where is this?"

"Well, you're just outside of the Los Angeles city limits. You need a ride somewhere?"

"Yes. Do you know where Knots Landing is?"

The man and the woman looked at each other funny. "Did you say Knots Landing?" asked the man as he puffed on his cigar while scrutinizing Kate.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, little lady. I don't know if you're being funny or if you're just a little slow but look behind you."

Kate turned and saw a billboard about 20 yards away. She hadn't noticed it as she had been preoccupied trying to flag down a car. The billboard said: Coming Soon! Knots Landing-Your NEW seaside coastal community where you can find peace and serenity!

[Daniel Avery]

In the early 1990's....

Claudia leaped from the bathtub and ran to the dressing room. Obviously some mad killer was in her apartment, and she wasn't about to give him a two-for-two record. The dressing room off from the master suite was where she hid her handgun, and after putting on a robe she emerged from the room calling out for the person to get the hell out or face getting his um, junk blown off. After what seemed forever, she decided the killer had left for some reason and started breathing again.

She looked to the counter and saw one of those prototype cellular phones that Greg's company had been testing. The police, most people would immediately think, but this was Claudia Whittaker. The phone remained on the counter untouched.

Claudia shoved Chip Roberts's body to the floor and, after digging her heel into his back, yanked the pitchfork free. She grimaced a second, examining the bloody pitchfork's razor-sharp tines. Curiously, she seemed not to be performing this act for the first time, but perhaps it was just adrenaline. At any rate, Chip was most certainly, absolutely, completely dead. He was bleeding all over the bone-white rug beside her tub, and his face was resting against one of the claw-feet. Damn, and I really liked that rug, she thought as she picked up a corner and started rolling it up around Chip.

In the late 1980's.....

Laura may have found Frank and Patricia a place to live (and time to get their bearings), but things were not a bed of roses for Laura or the Williamses. Laura invited the Williamses over for dinner to co-miserate. Laura's real-estate career was encountering a slight bump in the road, and she and Ciji were in that stage of a relationship where everything starts to irritate. Pat and Frank had heard from a neighbor that a lady in an upstairs apartment had inexplicably tied herself up and jumped in the trunk of her boyfriend's car, where she died before anyone found her.
Laura had been showing a property out in Rancho Knots Landing for over six months, but it was either too expensive, too far out from town, or just too big for whomever saw it. Laura bemoaned the fact that she really, really wanted that huge commission that would come from unloading that ranch. Ciji had been hearing this song for months, so she had much less patience for it, but pretended to be interested.
"This really deep-pocketed guy came to the office just yesterday...set up an appointment to see the place, but all he could do was stare at me. He can sure afford the place, but he gave me the creeps."
"No way would I go out there alone with him!" Patricia said.
"I'll go with you. I'll be a bodyguard..." Frank suggested.
"Or a date..." Ciji said with a hint of sarcasm.
Laura glared at Ciji, then looked at Pat and Frank. "Actually, if both of you came along, it would be a nice trip into the country. Bring Julie, too! Fresh air, clear skies...."
"I want a commission!" Pat joked. It was nice for them (well, most of them) to laugh a bit at that time.

------

In the early 1980's.....

Val and Gary were in their living room with Lilimae hovering. Joshua was standing near the stairs, afraid to get too far into the mix. Too much was going on: this mysterious return of his sister's from...somewhere, his own discovery that he had a whole family right in Knots Landing, coupled with the revelation that he'd actually run into them in...less than ideal circumstances and now his brother-in-law was staring daggers at him. Everyone was confused and doing the best they could to process it all.
He looked out the open door and saw that girl from the bicycle having an argument with Richard Avery, whom he only knew from that leather bar. He looked away for five seconds to listen to Lilimae, then looked back out the door, dividing his attentions. Richard and Ciji were shaking fingers at one another and basically making a scene. He thought little of it, considering all that was going on in the Ewing living room.

Laura felt like she'd been tricked. She went to the address the lady had given her, only to discover it was a vacant lot. Why would anyone pull a stunt like that? she thought. As she made her way back to Seaview Circle she had to take a short stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. She was daydreaming about the waste of time that "interview" had been when an old blue car came down the hill at breakneck speed, barely maintaining its lane. Both lanes had several cars in them; she barely got out of their way, but she had turned the steering wheel so sharply that she ended up crossing into the other lane and skidding to a stop on the opposite shoulder. She'd momentarily
given over her entire life to instinctive reaction, and apparently she had good instincts, even if they made her feel like her heart was in her throat.
That car went over the cliff! her mind yelled, not paying much attention to her own situation (since she was otherwise fine). She leaped from her car and since the traffic had disappeared she ran to the edge to look to the beach below. She expected to see a crashed car, perhaps on fire, but instead she saw--nothing. No car, no smoke, not even dust from the road. Sunbathers were walking on the beach far below as if it were any other day.
She cranked up the car and was further puzzled when the clock said it was 1:36pm. "Stupid Japanese crap car!" she spat out. Her appointment that never happened was scheduled for 2:45, so obviously the clock had stopped at some point and she had not noticed. She drove away, knowing Jason would be home from baseball practice any minute and he'd be wanting his PB&J.

----

"You did something with her, didn't you?" Richard had yelled accusingly at Ciji during their brief argument in the driveway. Ciji was so pissed off that she started to tell him in lurid detail just what she'd done with Laura over the past few months, but she thought that would only muddy the waters. She had no idea where Laura was, and neither did anyone else.
For Richard to lay into Ciji so soon after getting back only further demonstrated how Laura ought to dump that jerk for good. The only thing that broke up the love-fest was Jason's arrival. When Jason saw Richard had returned from his "business trip" he ran to hug his father, and they toned it down. "I'm sure it will be okay. Groceries?" she asked, really saying "Maybe Laura went to the grocery store and will be back any minute," not wanting to cause Jason any worry. After all, his dad had just disappeared and returned...no point in thinking his dad came back just so his mom could go away. She got back on her bicycle, while Richard glared at her as she rode away.
That evening, Richard would have to learn how to make PB&J "the way mom makes it," and be satisfied that half a reunion would be better than no reunion at all.

[AdrianCuldesac]

The early 80's

Peter's body vanished into thin air minutes after Peter had expired in front of Abby. Needless to say, she was perplexed over this, but she was not complaining. She was getting used to all the crazy things that were becoming commonplace in the cul-de-sac. I don't know how I would've explained that one! Abby dusted herself off, got up from where whe had been laying, and checked to make sure she wasn't hurt. She put the time piece away. I wonder why no one heard me screaming? She looked out her window again, and saw that Val's Pinto was parked...no smashed into Laura's garage. Gary's been drinking again!

---

The early 90's

As Claudia tried moving Chip's rug-encased body over to her closet, she heard the doorbell. Who the hell could it be at this hour? She wasn't going to answer, but then she heard a familiar voice shouting..."Chip! It's Annie! I know you're in there with that man-stealing...COW! Claudia, open the door! I just called you a C-O-W! COW! You're cars are both parked...out here...outside! I should know...I just hit your car with mine, Claudia! Don't drink and drive! You're not fooling anyone!" An intoxicated Anne Matheson was now pounding on the door. "If...I-I have to wake up the whole...GODDAMN neighborhood, I will! I'm not going anywhere. Oh...I think I'm going to vomit."

"DAMN! When it rains, it pours!" huffed Claudia as she got up and went to confront her old enemy, not realizing she had blood on her robe...

---

The early 70's

Kate was scared. She didn't know what to do. She had hitched a ride into Los Angeles with the couple she had flagged down. She thought about calling home. We were still living at the old house at this time in 1971. Mother won't believe me, though. She'll think I'm some psycho playing a prank or something. I wish I was back in the early 80's again. At least I had a place to stay! She was sitting outside in a park. Despite her situation, she realized it was a nice day. She looked over and saw a man feeding the pigeons. He looked so carefree. No worries in the world. As Kate observed him, she determined he looked to be in his 40's. Then she noticed he looked familiar. Is that Carlos? I think it is!

[Daniel Avery]

Early 1980's...

Richard had waited...and waited...and waited some more, but he soon realized that Laura was not coming home. The commotion over at the Ewing house was too much for him to mess with, so he decided to seek the advice of the neighborhood yenta, Karen Fairgate.
"You have no idea what it was like while all of you were...where you were," Karen said, trying to shake off the haze of her pill wearing off. "Honestly, Laura was at wit's end. The Williamses, then the Ewings, Ginger, and her own husband? Have you called Ginger's, by the way?"
"Ginger came back?!?" Richard asked, wondering how that happened.
"Yeah, I think Sam Adams pulled some sort of stunt to bring her back because he's really fallen for her."
"Sam Adams? Who the heck is that?"
While Karen recounted what she knew of the situation, Richard only became more convinced something sinister had happened to his wife. At least Karen had always been someone he could talk to.
While Richard went on and on about how he'd pined for his precious Laura and Jason while in the future (no mention of his torrid affair with "Mary Jane"), all Karen could keep thinking was "Man, I wish he'd leave. I really need a zanax."

-----

As it got darker in the cul-de-sac, a car pulled up in front of the Ewing home. Sam Adams emerged with Lucy, the Artist Formerly Known as Bratney. Ginger got out of the back seat, a very somber expression on her face. Sam had explained the whole chain of events to her, and though she still held some major grudges against the young woman, she was trying to understand how Lucy's life had spiralled out of control.
The Lucy she had met in the late 1980's was not a totally different person than the Bratney who'd shown up in her life a month or so before. She had the smart mouth, the entitlement issues, the unfortunate choices in hair coloring...but was obviously much more...well, bearable and gave the immediate physical appearance of the young, sweeter Lucy they'd met shortly after Val and Gary had moved in. Ginger had felt a certain resentment toward Lucy when she saw her married to Kenny and step-mothering Erin Molly; those personality problems must have magnified and multiplied when she gained minor notoriety in Europe as a pop star. The drugs and booze had aged her prematurely. As her career fell apart, she became more and more desperate until...well, they now saw the product of all that. Ginger had seen her fair share of hard-living, hard-drinking music stars during her marriage to Kenny, but this one took the proverbial cake.
How in the world would Lilimae, Val, and Gary react when Sam "reintroduced" Lucy to them? It wasn't Sam's fault that Mr. Sumner couldn't "find" Lucy prior to her 2002 implosion. Besides, Lilimae wanted her whole family around her. She had her previously-abandoned daughter and previously-abandoned son back as of that morning. Getting her long-lost granddaughter back in any shape or form ought to be icing on the cake! A case could be made that this was the time Lucy needed her family the most, when she is trying to put her life back together and to remember how to behave like a civilized human being again. The fact that the Ewings had loathed Bratney, and that Lilimae had tried to poison Bratney to get her out of the house shouldn't hurt his case too much, right?
Yeah, right.

Sam wisely brought Ginger along in an attempt to help him smooth things over. She knew the Ewings and Lilimae much better than he did. Ginger, for her part, would never have joined in this whole drama had it not been for her growing love for Sam. It definitely overruled her continued dislike for Lucy/Bratney. Besides, it sounded to Sam and Ginger that this action--completing the family unit that Lilimae had been promised---would end the continued warping of the correct time lines.
Yeah, right.

[AdrianCuldesac]

The Early 70's

Kate had gone over and introduced herself to Carlos. She just needed a familar face to hang out with for a little while, before she figured out what her next move would be. Carlos thought this young girl seemed nice, but there was something odd about her manner. She seemed anxious. I hope she doesn't try to pull anything. She doesn't look like a hippie or one of those flower children...she looks quite normal. God, I hope she doesn't ask me if I've been saved.

"So, Carlos. What do you do for a living?"

"Well, right now I chauffeur for this limo service company, but I'm taking a culinay cooking class right now. I want to be a chef someday."

"Oh, that's great! I play...well, I used to play tennis. I hurt my arm...so, that's all over."

"That's too bad. What do you want to do now?"

"I haven't decided, but when I find out, I'll tell you!" laughed Kate.

Carlos laughed with her. He heard a commotion over to his side and looked over and saw a police man arguing with a homeless man.

"You know..." started Carlos, but as he turned back to his young friend, she was gone.

---

Kate was sitting with Carlos one minute, and then the next she was at the patio table at her uncle's ranch. Greg Sumner was sitting opposite her, reading the paper. Claudia was sitting next to her going on about some new African art exhibit that was coming to town next month. Kate didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was so happy that she was back in her proper time.

"What's wrong, honey? Kate? Did I say something wrong? asked Claudia with growing concern.

Kate couldn't speak. She didn't know where to begin. How could she tell them what had happened to her?

"Leave the kid alone, sis! She's alright. Aren't ya kiddo!" Greg peered at his niece over his glasses. The glint in his eyes told Kate it was okay. Everything was back to normal. Claudia glared at Greg for a second, then looked away and smile at Kate. "Of course, Greggy. You have everything under control, as usual." Kate was about to ask if they knew where and WHEN she had been and if they had anything to do with it, but Carlos came over with a pitcher of juice. He stood there looking at Kate for a second. He smiled at her and as he poured her some juice, he asked, "So, Miss Whitaker. Did you decide on what you want to do?"

---

Back in the early 80's, Val and Gary were in shock. Lilimae was yelling at Sam. Ginger was tired and wanted to be anywhere but the Ewing home. Joshua just looked on in confusion, as Lucy flirted with him. Everything seemed back to normal at the cul-de-sac...

[Daniel Avery]

After the longest day ever, Lilimae announced that she'd had her fill.
"I swear," she said sarcastically, "all that's missing is Mother MayBell Carter coming down the stairs singing 'Pine Country'." She started up the stairs to her room, and said if anyone needed her for anything, she'd be getting answers from her Bible. Joshua followed her, hoping he could help her calm down, but also hoping she would continue to explain why she'd left him behind in Tennessee.
Val had spent a bit of time looking closer at Lucy and saw that she was indeed looking at a future version of her daughter. It was the eyes more than anything--she pointed out to Gary that they were his eyes.
"I remembered this place when we drove up," Lucy said quietly, "and we went to the beach. I yelled at daddy, and then we ran in the surf?"
Bits and pieces were coming back to Lucy, and Val was beginning to reconsider her stand-offish attitude. Gary would be a tougher sell, especially since Bratney had tried so hard to seduce him. Ewwww!
To be fair, Val was still uncomfortable. How was she going to explain having a daughter who looked older than she did? Ewww!
Sam and Ginger excused themselves after Val agreed to let Lucy stay. Val, with Gary being led along, decided that they all needed to pull together.
The five of them would be trying to get used to each other, but at least they were all on equal footing: they were all shell-shocked.

------

The later 1980's

Laura may have avoided a major cliffhanger on her way home, but after the shock wore off she started getting really suspicious. The DJ on the radio had confirmed it was really closer to 2pm than 3pm, and the real clincher was seeing the McDonald's on Halloway Drive was no longer there. At first she just looked at the Jack-In-The-Box casually, but then did a double-take. Fast food restaurants changed all the time, but she'd taken Jason there two days ago for a Big Mac and fries. She actually turned the car around to make sure she'd seen what she thought she'd seen. Next door was the same gas station where she'd filled up...but this was just wrong. She continued back to the cul-de-sac picking out inconsistencies, including music on the radio she'd never heard. She had pretty much figured out that she was no longer in her proper time, but didn't really want to think too hard about it because the whole concept scared her.

-------

A few blocks from Halloway Drive, Patricia, Julie, and Frank Williams were emerging from the offices of a lawyer. Frank and Pat had realized that they would have to establish their "old" identity as their "new" identity. One can't simply live without social security numbers or credit histories and all that, so the lawyer was going to help them by making calls to the "real" Witness Protection Program and try to undo the damage done by Greg Sumner. Pat was happier than she had been in a long time.
"Oh, Frank, this is a first step toward getting back to normal. You heard him; it's not like it's our fault that Sumner pulled strings with the feds. In a few weeks, we'll have proper paperwork and you and I can finally get back to work, get our own place, and Julie can re-register in school!"
"I sure hope he's on the level," Frank grumbled. He and Pat had been scammed a lot lately.
"There's her office..." Pat said, pointing upward at a large high-rise office building. This was where Laura worked, and where they were headed. Their afternoon in the country hinged on whether or not this flaky client of Laura's still wanted to view that huge ranch property. They waited at the intersection for the light to change when Julie pointed and asked, "Isn't that Mrs. Avery at the light?"
Laura was in her car, trying to shake off the feeling that she was "not in Kansas anymore" and not paying attention to the Williamses standing on the corner. George and Martha Washington could have been standing there for all she knew. She proceeded after the light changed, headed in the other direction.
"What the hell?" Frank asked. "She's leaving without us?"
"Wait, Frank...maybe she had to do some other errand. She probably left a note in the office. Maybe that wasn't even her. It certainly wasn't her BMW." Julie was positive it was her.
"Well, hello, Williamses! Ready for our trip to the Ponderosa?" Laura asked, greeting the family in the lobby. She was holding her coat and briefcase. Pat, Frank, and Julie had a look of puzzlement that bordered on the comical.

[Daniel Avery]

In the early 1990's....

Greg left Claudia and Kate at the patio table, announcing he had to go see a woman about a land deal. Claudia, who had been slowly ingratiating herself into the daily operations of The Sumner Group, objected. "What deal?" she asked, growing anxious about any "deal" she had not known about. Greg just waved a hand as he disappeared into the house.
"Mom, I really need to talk to you about the past few days!" Kate said indignantly. "You two really seem not to care that I was sucked up into this whole Empire Valley experiment. I could have been killed!"
Claudia indeed didn't seem to care very much, but tried to cover her lack of concern. Claudia had a couple of "deals" of her own that were pressing on her mind.
"Honey, you know your uncle would never have allowed you to come to any harm."
"Mom, if he has so much control over this project, why didn't he bring me back as soon as he found out I was missing? Karen MacKenzie said others would show up, then disappear within minutes. I got stuck being Karen's houseguest for almost a week! I must say, it's little wonder her kids left so soon after they grew up."
Claudia had only heard about half of Kate's complaints. "Please, honey...just relax for the day, maybe go shopping--I'm sure Greg wouldn't mind you using his Mercedes."
Kate, sensing her mother was tuning her out, sighed and left the table.

----

The late 1980's....

Laura and the Williamses drove out to Rancho Knots Landing. While Laura waited for the buyer to show up at the Hidden Valley property, Julie and Frank went for a walk along the pond. It really was a nice property, but the huge price tag was making it hard to unload. Pat was telling Laura about the trip to the lawyers' as they sat on the patio steps; the client was (by then) late. Finally, a convertible could be seen coming up the long driveway, kicking up dust behind.
"After all this gets done," Pat said in conclusion, "I hope to never hear the name Greg Sumner ever again!"
"Um, what did you say?" Laura asked, starting to blush a bit.
"I think Frank was ready to rip his head off!"
The car pulled up. Greg was behind the wheel, his sunglasses perched on his nose.
"Well, this is a really embarrassing coincidence...." Laura mumbled.

Back at the cul-de-sac, Sam Adams returned home. Abby was at the desk in the living room, looking over some bank statements.
"Hi, honey...what's for dinner?" he asked sarcastically.
"Give it a rest," she said, not even looking up. He arched an eyebrow at his wife, then went upstairs. He had not heard from Sumner or the office, so he thought he ought to check his messages.
He'd been in and out so much lately, and rather than just enjoying the give-and-take of a relationship based on blackmail and really good sex, she'd grown increasingly insecure about Sam. Abby being Abby, she was already well-placed financially in case he decided to leave her, but there was a part of her that really liked Sam being around. What's sex without a little bit of manipulation? Their relationship had been built on her holding that timepiece (and the secrets he had to keep) over his head, but he seemed to be much more belligerent than ever before. It was Ginger Ward, of course--the little twit--but Abby had to stop herself from being led by the feeling that she'd lost the love of her husband to another woman. "Love" had little to do with their marriage.
Sam had gotten a message from Greg, which made him roll his eyes. "I really hope he knows what he's doing!" was Sam's reply. I have as much riding on this as you do...he added to himself.

[AdrianCuldesac]

The early 80's

As things settled back down again on the block for everyone, Lilimae was still worried about where the timepiece had dissappeared to. She wondered if it had simply vanished on its own. It's just as well. I have my family back again! She sat at the kitchen table sipping her tea when her long-lost granddaughter came walking in.

"Well, good morning, sunshine! You want me to fix you something for breakfast?"

"No, no thanks, Grandma Clements." Lilimae winced at the name. Lucy couldn't bring herself to call Lilimae "grandma" as she only called one person in the world that, and she lived in Dallas. "Have you seen mama or daddy?"

"Well, sunshine, your mama had a class this morning. In fact you just missed her. And as for your daddy, he went to work already. Said he had to get an early start this morning."

"Oh." Lucy sighed.

"What's the matter, sunshine? You need something?"

"It's just that...I need something to do. I haven't heard back from my label and I'm just getting restless."

At that moment, Joshua appeared straightening his tie as he went over to Lilimae and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Morning, mama. Lucy."

"Morning." said Lucy quietly.

"Morning, son. Where are you off to?" Lilimae asked.

"I have two job interviews this morning. A friend of mine is coming to pick me up."

"Oh, can I fix you something to eat right quick before you go?"

"No thanks, mama."

"Uncle Joshua...you think I can tag along? Maybe your friend could drop me off at the mall or the park? I just need to get out for awhile." asked Lucy hopefully.

"Sssure, Lucy. I don't think he'll mind. Go and get dressed. My friend should be here in about 5 minutes, so you better hurry."

Lucy went bounding off excitedly. "Mama, you need me to stop anywhere for anything while I'm out?"

"Oh, no thank you, son. I'm just gonna stay here and do some needlepoint. Maybe visit Richard, and see if he's heard anything about Laura. Such a shame. I get all my precious babies back, and now this."

---

Richard had hardly slept since Laura had gone missing two days ago. He gave his son his lunch, kissed him, and walked him to the front door. As Jason took his sack lunch, he prayed it wasn't another frozen pot pie or tv dinner. He knew his dad meant well, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could handle this. He walked out the door and went to go stand outside with Michael to wait for the schoolbus. "Hey, Jason. Mom made this for you." He handed Jason another lunch bag. Jason looked in it to find a ham sandwich, chips, and an apple. "Neat! Your mom is a life-saver!"

Richard watched his son from the window. He was so angry at how life seemed to be working against him lately. A cosmic conspiracy! After what Karen had told him, he was sure Sam Adams had something to do with Laura's dissappearance, and he was going to get some answers. He went to his bedroom closet and pulled out a shoebox. Inside was a gun. Maybe while I'm at it, I'll take care of Ciji too!

[Daniel Avery]

The late 1980's...and late in the afternoon:

Laura drove up to her house to see a strange car in the driveway. Before she could get a closer look, Ciji opened the front door. Ciji finally bought a car! Laura thought. But why was she in the house?
"You got a new car!" Laura said in greeting. Ciji cut her a mean look.
"Oh, good one, Madame Sarcasmo. I didn't think the car needed washing, but I did it just so you'd get the hell off my back." Ciji then turned and headed into the house.
Laura reacted with a mix of surprise and confusion. She started to ask just who'd peed in Ciji's corn flakes when something caught her eye from across the cul-de-sac. The door slammed, making Laura jump. She turned to look across at Karen's yard and saw...a complete mess. The grass was spotty and brown. Old, broken lawn chairs were strewn across the sidewalk, and what looked like a transmission was hanging from a tree. Three hubcaps were leaning against the mailbox, and a broken toilet was the centerpiece of a flowerbed which featured plastic flowers coming out of the toilet tank. A large, hairy dog had dug a hole and was dozing in it. Laura's jaw dropped.

-----

Rancho Knots Landing (about an hour out of town):

"I take it you two know one another?" Laura asked sheepishly, noting the sudden change in Patricia's posture.
"Is it not enough that you ruin our lives...you have to stalk us, too?" Pat railed. Laura was starting to get really, really nervous. On the one hand, she hated seeing her friend so upset, but she really, really didn't want to ruin her chances with Sumner.
"Hey, how would I know you were going to come out here? Far as I'm concerned, you're the one following me!"
Pat, totally speechless, simply threw up her hands, walked around the corner of the mansion and let out a cathartic scream. Both Laura and Greg jumped.
"Mrs. Avery, I think we're done here. Maybe you can make it home in time to cook dinner for the family." Greg cranked up his car. Though Laura tried to talk Greg into staying, he tuned her out and pulled away. Jerk! She thought. She then added Millionaire Jerk!

Patricia and Frank spent the entire ride back apologizing to Laura, but she couldn't be too angry. It was one of those horrible coincidences that happen...well, too often for their tastes. Pat even offered to call Sumner to try to smooth things over and get him to reconsider the ranch property, though Frank objected to any sort of contact between Greg and his wife.
Laura didn't know all the details of how Sumner had caused so much chaos in the Williamses lives, but he was obviously not a nice person.

"The more I think about it, the more I'm glad he left," Laura lied, trying to hide just how much she wanted the commission on that ranch. "He was a chauvinist pig. He actually told me to go home and cook dinner for my family, like I'm some sort of bored housewife dabbling in selling houses."
There was momentary pause.
"Wanna know the worst part?" Laura deadpanned. "After dropping you off, that's exactly what I need to do."

-----

After getting an eyeful of what looked like a Redneck's practical joke on the Fairgates' perfect yard, she remembered the missing Mickey D's and the additional hour she'd gained. She half-expected that little red-haired boy to show up and eat peanut butter sandwiches with her. And speaking of little boys, where was Jason?
"Is Jason upstairs?" Laura asked as she entered the house. The answer to her question would not have mattered, because she was soon struck by the total overhaul that had been done to her house. Other than the construction footprint, Laura could not recognize one single piece of furniture or wall color that was as she remembered it from when she left the house just three hours before. She could barely whisper "What the hell...?" as she looked around.
Ciji, purse in hand, came out of the kitchen. "Jason? Your Jason? No, he's not upstairs...he's still in San Diego. Listen, I gotta go to work. Make yourself a cocktail and get your head screwed back on." Laura was soon left alone in a house that was hers, yet not hers at all. Her eyes fell upon a poster-size photograph hanging over the mantel that made her feel faint. In the living room? Laura thought as she recognized certain parts of the nude subject. Dear God!

[AdrianCuldesac]

The late 80's...

Laura dropped the Williamses off at the property they were temporarliy staying at thanks to Laura. It was an old mansion, and at first they had refused, but Laura said that she was having a hard time selling it. Plus, it was out of the way, and it would mean that they might find some peace and quiet from what was happening on Seaview Circle. Pat apologized once more for her behavior, but Laura shrugged it off and told her it was "water under the bridge." As she waved goodbye to them, her thoughts drifted off to home and of Ciji waiting for her...

---

"So, should we order out for pizza or Chinese?" asked a hungry Frank.

"I guess so. The stipend that we got from the government has to last us for the next couple of weeks until we start our new jobs. So, until then we're going to have to budget ourselves, Frank." sighed Pat.

"Mom? Dad?" Julie looked puzzled.

"What's the matter pumpkin?" asked Frank.

"Do we have to stay here? It gives me the creeps." said Julie as she looked around the foyer. She was holding herself. She seemed so small in the vast interior of the house. Her eyes travelled up the curved stairway that lead to the upper landing.

"Oh, honey. It's only temporary! Besides, how many chances does one get to live in a mansion!" offered a smiling Pat. Julie nodded in agreement, but she couldn't help shake the feeling that they were all being watched...

---

Laura was still reeling from the shock of seeing the nude portrait of her and Ciji. It wasn't that it was just nude, it was the fact that she and Ciji were obviously sharing an intimate moment in the photo. Their facial expressions gave it all away. She looked around for any other clues that might offer more insight. There was a new stereo in the corner that looked like nothing she had ever seen before. She went over to it and discovered that there was no turntable, but two cassette slots and something else...it had Compact Disc marked on it. Compact Disc? What the hell is that? She pushed the button marked Eject and something popped out. It was circular, metallic, flat, and round. It looks kinda like a record. There was a label on it. Who are the Indigo Girls? As she started to figure out what was happening, she heard a car drive up. I hope to God that's Richard! She bit her upper lip and ran to the front door and threw it open. There standing in front of her with a surprised look on her face was...Laura Avery?!!

---

The early 90's...

Claudia came home after returning from the ranch. Katie was back, safe and sound, and now she had just managed in stealing a priceless African artifact! She was quite pleased with herself. She put the small wooden box on her coffee table and lifted the top. As she dug into it, packing peanuts fell everywhere. She pulled out what looked like a doll...a very UGLY doll. It had black, stringy rooted hair and its body had been carved out of wood and painted a medium brown. It's eyes were made of small pieces of amber and it had a gaping mouth filled with sharp, white teeth. In its hand, it held a small spear. There was a gold chain wrapped around its waist, and an accompanying scroll. Claudia read what it said aloud.

"He who kills! Genuine Zuni Hunting Fetish Doll complete with Zuni Hunter's spirit trapped inside! Should the chain be removed, the spirit...yadda, yadda, yadda."

There was a thump and a groan from upstairs. Claudia, in her excitement over her new piece, had forgotten about her guest . Damn! She's finally up. She set the doll down on the coffee table and headed for her bedroom. The chain was still clinging to the doll's waist.

Anne Matheson remembered nothing from the night before. She was tied to a bed and her head hurt. She didn't remember going over to Claudia's in a drunken, jealous rage. Didn't recall finding Chip's body in Claudia's closet, nor how it vanished into thin air almost as soon as she saw it. She had also forgotten how she and Claudia had fought when Anne threatened to go to the police, and how Claudia hit her over the head and knocked her out. In fact, Anne couldn't remember much of anything, except that her name was Anne. This became apparent to Claudia as she questioned her old nemesis.

"So, you're telling me you DON'T remember a thing from the night before?" asked a skeptical Claudia.

"No...I have such a headache. I don't understand why I'm tied up. Wh-Who are you?" Anne looked confused and her voice sounded like it was about to crack.

"Are you playing games with me? You forget who you're dealing with here lady."

"No...I-I-I don't know...who you are and why I'm tied up like this? Please..." and with that, Anne Matheson started to cry.

Now, she would never dare do that in front of me! I think she's serious. My word...could it be? Amnesia! The knock on the head gave the bitch...AMNESIA!! Claudia Whitaker, this is your lucky day!

"There, there!" said Claudia with a more gentle tone. "Everything's okay!! No need to cry. Your best friend Claudia is here. Don't you remember sweetie? You fall out of bed, because you thrash about when you sleep. So we have to tie you up. AND, the bedpan is there, because you sometimes have...accidents. It's to be expected from someone your age. But don't worry your geriatric head off, I'm going to buy you some adult diapers for you later. Now, I think you've slept in late enough as it is. The house can't clean itself, now can it?"

"Clean?"

"Why, yes, Annie! Have you forgotten that as well, my remedial friend? You're my housekeeper! I let you live here for free, and in return you do as I ask!"

---

The early 80's...

Lucy had been waiting outside in Uncle Joshua's, friend's Mercedes for what seemed like hours. Joshua and his friend had stopped at a motel and gone inside. Uncle Joshua's friend was named Mr. Lynde, and they were at the motel because he thought he lost something there the night before. Lucy didn't think anything was odd about that, nor did she think there was anything odd that Mr. Lynde insisted that Uncle Joshua come with him to look for whatever it was and that they had been gone for nearly two hours.

As Joshua got dressed in the motel room, he asked Paul, "So, will you help me get that job with your friend with the show now?"

"Here's the deal, sugar dumpling! If I can get you a job in FRONT of the camera instead of behind it, will you do me one more...favor?" sneered Paul.

"What kind of favor?" asked a suspicious Joshua.

"I'm throwing a party, and I'd like for you to be the main entree! All you have to do is lay in a swing. That doesn't sound so bad, now does it, my little studmuffin?"

Joshua wasn't so sure he liked the sound of that...

[Daniel Avery]

The late 1980's

Sam was sitting at his desk when his phone rang.
"It's about to happen? Why didn't you give me more warning?" Sam asked. He listened a bit more, then clicked on his computer. After punching in his password, the Empire Valley logo popped up, followed by lots of gibberish he actually recognized.
"This is off the charts! What if the whole place goes up?"
"No! I really need to be there. They know me." He hung up without waiting for a reply, and quickly grabbed his car keys. He left his computer on, which was still displaying charts and graphics that had lots of impressive "danger" and "red alerts" popping up.

Greg hung up his car phone and continued on his path to Seaview Circle. He figured Sam would not make it there on time, and with any luck he'd never have to deal with that butt-kisser ever again. He had seen Laura's BMW pass and followed a short distance behind as they both approached the cul-de-sac. Despite his best efforts to seem perpetually cool and collected, Greg was a bundle of nerves because his entire life was riding on the next few minutes. He could hardly grasp the latch of the glove-box as he fumbled to open it. He retrieved a timepiece which resembled the one Lilimae Clements had been holding onto (or so he thought), only Greg's had a larger design imprint. It also had one important difference: rather than spawning disruptions in the current timeline, it was able to manipulate them and even seal them back.

If Abby had been paying closer attention to her ill-gotten timepiece, she would have been amazed. As Laura drove closer to her home, it began giving off heat, attempting to convert the energy that was being generated. As Laura's car pulled into the cul-de-sac, the piece even shifted its physical position in Abby's ring box. Meanwhile, Abby was in her bathroom, giving her hair a V08 Hot Oil Treatment and oblivious to anything going on in her neighborhood.

Laura got out of her BMW and was walking to her door as Greg pulled into the circle drive. He watched from his car, which was parked in front of Abby's. The timepiece in his hand popped open at the very moment Laura opened her door to see....herself.

----

Sam Adams pulled into the cul-de-sac about five minutes after Greg and Laura had arrived separately. He saw Greg's car, Laura's BMW, and another car that looked old enough to be the other Laura's car. Sam had been bogged down in the theory of all this timeshifting and such but still had no idea what he'd see. The houses seemed to be intact, and luckily there were no dead bodies laying around or anything. He was torn; should he check on his loving wife (heh) first, or see if Mr. Sumner had actually succeeded in what he'd been planning for two years and spending insane amounts of money to accomplish?
By heading over to the Avery house, he made the decision that doomed him but saved Mr. Sumner and his late wife.

[Daniel Avery]

Sam found the door to the Avery house ajar and stepped in. The most shocking thing he saw in the living room was the portrait hanging over the mantel. Nothing was disturbed; no furniture tossed, no papers on the floor...nothing. "Mrs. Avery?" he called several times as he went upstairs and down, exploring the totally empty house.
"He actually did it. That old coot really did it."
His eyes widened suddenly as he recalled one thing Greg had told him about what was theorized would happen on this day. According to him, the sheer scale of the disruptions of the timelines would make the shifts in the earlier eighties seem minor. He spotted the timepiece that Greg had been using, and tried to pick it up. It was hot to the touch, so he drew back, then wrapped his handkerchief around it to drop it into his jacket pocket.
He felt that now-familiar feeling that he'd changed timelines again, but was no longer anxious. In fact, he looked hopeful for the first time in ages.
Guess he won't be needing this any more...Sam thought. I ought to toss it in the ocean! He opened the door to see Karen Fairgate's perfectly manicured lawn, Val and Gary's late-1970's cars in their driveways, and Abby setting up her lawn sprinkler. He recognized the early 1980's period, and sighed in relief that he was back where Ginger would be, where everything was so much simpler.
It's all different now! He thought. What could she possibly hold over my head now, since Sumner's left the scene with his precious Laura Avery, and everyone else's lives can get back to normal? I never have to look at her again! He grinned and started to wave at her when she brought her hands to her face and screamed.
A car came seemingly out of nowhere and plowed into Sam as he stood beside his car. His head hit the hood, and he rolled a few feet away. Danny Waleska stumbled out of his car and looked at Sam laying on the pavement.
"What are you doing in my driveway??" he yelled, so drunk he could barely stand. Abby screamed again, and though Danny was drunk, he knew he was in big trouble--and that this was a witness to what happened. She bolted for the front door but tripped on the water hose. The split-second it took her to get back to her feet gave him time to get closer to her. She ran in her house and slammed the door on his fingers. He howled in pain.
This was not the first time she'd been attacked in her home, but this time she was more prepared. She had bought a handgun and hid it in the same place she'd been hiding that strange pocketwatch that she snatched from Lilimae. While the strange, drunk man managed to pry his fingers out of her door, she fished the gun out and was waiting on the other side.
Karen and Gary came out of their homes upon hearing the commotion, and Gary rushed forward to confront Danny. Between being totally drunk and having ten broken fingers, Danny wasn't exactly able to put up any sort of fight. Gary simply walked up and punched Danny out cold.
Karen rushed to Sam's side, but she knew right away that Sam was a goner. Blood was everywhere. Abby thrust her handgun into Gary's hands and told him to use any excuse to shoot that "nutcase" lying on her front steps, then walked out to Karen and Sam in the circle-drive. Karen blinked back some tears, then got up to step away from Sam. Abby was still in a daze, but had enough presence of mind to notice the bigger, better pocket-watch that was lying a few feet from Sam's body. After Karen turned her back, Abby quickly shoved it in her pocket.

Most of the cul-de-sac residents had emerged from their homes by the time the police and an ambulance had arrived. Lilimae was devastated, and Karen wondered just how they were going to tell Ginger. Richard Avery drove into the entire circus with puzzlement. He parked his car and walked over to ask what was going on. Abby and Lilimae were standing curbside.
"It's Sam Adams, that man who helped bring Lucy and Joshua back. Some drunk driver ran him over right in front of Abby!"
"Wow...that's awful. You saw it happen?"
"It was horrific. He had just gone to see Laura, walked out of the house, and the guy just came out of nowhere."
Richard wrinkled his nose. "Visited who? You mean Lilimae?"
"No, Richard. Laura. He came to see Laura."
"Who the hell is Laura?" he asked. Lilimae also looked puzzled and wanted to hear the answer to that question, as well.

[AdrianCuldesac]

The early 90's...

As Anne scrubbed the kitchen tiles, Claudia sat eating a key lime pie.

"Uh...<pant>, Claudia?"

"Mmmm. Yes, Annie?"

"Do I get a lunch break or something?"

"Oh, I would normally say 'yes,' but before your accident, you were on a strict diet. I wouldn't want you to do anything to derail your accomplishments!" Claudia smiled.

"I was on a diet? <pant> But...I don't look like I need to di..."

"Well, you were well over 300 pounds dear. You've lost all the weight from just drinking prune juice and water. Occasionally you'd have a cracker, but you were so disciplined...and just look at the results! You don't want to fall back into old habits do you?" Claudia took a bite of her pie.

Anne was eyeing Claudia as she savored her dessert. "No...I suppose not. But do you think I could at least have some juice?"

"Of course sweetie! As soon as your done here in the kitchen. Don't forget the dishes!" and with that Claudia took the rest of the perfectly good pie and threw it in the trash in front of Anne.

"I'm going out to buy your adult diapers and get you some more prune juice. Maybe some odor-eaters for your shoes! When you've had your 15 minute break, start in the living room!"

[AdrianCuldesac]

The early 80's...

While the police tried to make sense of what happened, no one noticed Danny get up and stumble away. He was still drunk as he awkwardly tried to make an escape by going through the Avery's backyard. His broken fingers were throbbing. As he approached the pool, he looked behind him to see if anyone was pursuing him. That's when he tripped and fell into the pool. By the time the police realized he was gone and found him, he had drowned. The paramedics were not successful in reviving him.

---

As this new revelation hit the residents, Karen and Lilimae were still trying to figure out what, if anything, was wrong with Richard and his memory. As they tried to jog his memory, Kenny walked up to them and asked what was up.

"It seems...Richard has no recollection of Laura and their marriage. Can you BELIEVE that?" asked a skeptical Karen. She was convinced he was faking by this point. To what end, she had no clue.

"Oh, honey! You couldn't have forgotten being married to such a sweet thing?" pleaded Lilimae. "She bore your son!"

"I have a son?" Richard looked even more confused.

"YES! JASON AVERY!! Why are you playing games, Richard? A man just died in front of your house and another just drowned in your pool! Have you no sense of decency?!" snapped Karen.

"Ahhhh...now THAT I remember! Karen Fairgate's sanctimoniousness! St. Karen!"

"F*CK YOU, RICHARD!" spat Karen. Everyone, including the cops stopped. Lilimae looked horrified. Abby was smirking as she stood by the officers who were still taking her statements. Gary was dumbfounded. Kenny was trying not to laugh, and Richard...Richard looked pleased with himself.

"Karen! My word! What has gotten into you, darlin'? What possessed you to say such a thing?" cried Lilimae. Now that Lilimae thought about it, Karen had been acting rather peculiar lately.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Richard. I-I need to go home and check on dinner." With that, a red-faced Karen headed back inside her home. She marched directly to the kitchen and opened the pantry door. She had stopped taking her pills, cold turkey, and now she needed something to calm her nerves. Something like a Twinkie.

After stifling his laughter, Kenny turned to Richard and said, "Maybe the paramedics should check you out buddy? Did you toss a few back or did you hit your head?"

Richard had had enough. He was tired of all the questioning. "I'm fine, Kenny! Which is more than I can say for YOUR marriage! Talk to Ginger lately?!"

---

Abby was finishing up her statement with the two handsome policemen. "I'm just glad that my neighbor, Mr Ewing, showed up. I live alone with two small children, officers. A young mother like myself gets easily frightened and...oh, so lonely. Maybe in a few years <sigh>, when I'm in my 30's, I'll have a better grasp of all this zaniness we call life." she said with mock innocence while batting her raccoon eyes. The two policemen noticed that she was stroking her gun seductively. They were so transfixed on her and what she was doing, that they didn't notice Kenny punching Richard out behind them.

[Daniel Avery]

The early 1980's

The chaos in the cul-de-sac would have been explained quite easily by the very man whose blood lay on the pavement. If Sam had lived, he could have pointed out to the neighbors that since they had been within the radius of the devices at the time Greg showed up, their "reality" remained the same (thus, they remembered Laura and Jason). Richard, however, was across town--and now functioned as if Laura (and by extension, Jason) never existed, because Laura had been plucked from the rest of the world's existence. He probably would not have understood that his presence in the events of the cul-de-sac would effect other's futures, as well.
Obviously he was in no shape to explain anything. It was up to others to attempt to set Richard straight, but he was much too stubborn to accept something so...odd. Karen had fled the scene, so it was up to Valene and Lilimae to have "the talk" with Richard. In their mind, Laura had gone "somewhere" in much the same way Val and Richard had ended up five years in the future, but no one could explain why Richard couldn't remember his wife. No one had "forgotten" the four who'd travelled into the future.
It got stranger when the three went into Richard's house. The house, which had always been kept immaculately, looked like a typical bachelor pad. A basket of dirty clothes sat on the sofa, dirty socks were beside the TV, and two half-empty pizza boxes were on the coffee table.There were no photos of Laura or Jason, and the decorating style was hardly worth mentioning.
Just when I thought nothin' could shock me... Lilimae thought to herself. Her beautiful home! Where could she be?

-----

The later 1980's

Abby Adams had gone to bed that evening as one of LA's most prominent (if frequently lampooned) midday chat-show hosts. Her husband may have despised her, and he wasn't even home most nights, but they led a comfortable lifestyle. Heck, it wasn't as if she didn't have her own fun on the side; she had not gone to bed that evening all by herself, after all. The station's Director of Prime-Time Programming may have been a bit of a perv, but he was her ticket to co-anchoring the 11 o'clock news. She fell asleep trying to forget what she'd just done in order to further her career (and blot from her memory the sight of Herb in those leopard-skin boxer shorts).
She awakened the next morning as usual, hoping Herb would just exit, stage left, rather than ask for a re-match. She slipped out from under the covers so as not to disturb him and got to the bathroom to turn on the light.
"Aggh!!" she screamed in horror at what she saw in the mirror. For starters, it was not her bathroom--or so she thought.
"Abby, what the hell's the matter?"
Abby saw Gary Ewing standing in the doorway, wearing only a pair of tightie-whities and sporting a severe case of bed-head.
"Agggh!" she screamed again.